Video photograph album

ABSTRACT

A video album having a plurality of photograph sleeves and video monitor housed within the same album. Each photograph sleeve having at least one pocket for housing a photographic image.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/440,166, filed Feb. 7, 2011.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to video photograph album. More particularly, inone embodiment, this invention relates to a wedding album having bothphotographic prints and a video monitor housed within the album.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Over the years wedding photography has remained largely unchanged.Before, during and after a wedding ceremony, a couple generally hires aphotographer to capture moments throughout the day. These moments arethen printed and placed into a wedding album.

In the 1980's wedding videos became popular. Since then, the quality ofwedding videos have greatly improved. However, wedding videos are stilllargely overshadowed by wedding photography.

Generally, wedding photographs are placed into albums allowing for easyviewing of the photographs. The wedding album can be placed in a familyroom for easy viewing by guests.

By contrast, wedding videos are converted and stored on a media such asa VHS tape, DVD, Blue-ray. More recently, digital copies of the weddingvideo are stored on flash drives, SD cards and the like. To view thewedding video, the media is placed into a player and the video is thenplayed back on a monitor. Because of this the wedding video tends getstored away making viewing more cumbersome.

People do find it important to have their wedding day captured on video,but after that special day the video is not viewed as much as theirwedding album. It is easier to pick up an album and look at picturesthan to play a video. However, pictures do lack one major aspect andthat is sound and motion.

Therefore, a simpler way to view wedding videos is desired.

Furthermore, a wedding album having both photographic prints, and awedding video is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention describes a video photograph album having a numberof pages containing print photographs, a monitor and a speaker. Thealbum allows the user to view pictures, watch and hear the wedding videoall in the same device. When wanting to show memories from the weddingday, all that is required is the single device.

The video album contains a video monitor built into the album. The videomonitor may be on a cover, or inside the album along the top, bottom orsides of the photographic sleeves. This allows the viewer to not onlylook at the pictures from a wedding, but also to watch the video at thesame time.

The video album incorporates the video monitor and the photographs intoa single, easy to use product. The resulting album having bothphotographs and video playback capabilities. An integrated speakerallows for sound playback.

It is an object of the invention to provide a single device capable ofdisplaying photographic images and video playback.

One advantage of the invention, is that video playback is added tophotographic albums.

Another advantage of the invention, is that sound playback is added tophotographic albums.

Yet another advantage of the invention, is that the video is stored inthe album, allowing for easy playback and reduced risk of losing thevideo.

An even further advantage of the invention, is that media ports allowfor the video to played on additional devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is disclosed with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a top view of a video album with the front cover closedaccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 depicts a side view of the video wedding album shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts the media buttons according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4 depicts the monitor and housing according to one embodiment;

FIG. 5 depicts a top view of the video album shown in FIG. 1 with thefront cover open;

FIG. 6 depicts a top view of a video album with the front cover closedand video monitor embedded in the front cover according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 7 depicts a top view of a video album with the front cover closedand video monitor embedded in the front cover according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 8 depicts a top view of a video album with the front cover closedand video monitor embedded in the front cover according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 9 depicts the monitor and housing according to one embodiment; and

FIG. 10 depicts the housing and the back cover according to oneembodiment.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views. The examples set out herein illustrateseveral embodiments of the invention but should not be construed aslimiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIGS. 1-10, there is a video album 100 corresponding to oneembodiment. The album 101 contains a video monitor 110 and a pluralityof photograph sleeves 120.

The album 101 has a front cover 102, a back cover 103 and a side 104 anda monitor housing 105. The monitor housing 105 being a housing for thevideo monitor 110. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5 the videomonitor 110 is located along the outer edge 106 of the album 101, thevideo monitor 110 being between the front cover 102 and the back cover103 and to the side of the photograph sleeves 120. In anotherembodiment, the video monitor 110 is located on the front cover 102. Inyet another embodiment, the video monitor 110 is located on the backcover 103. In yet a further embodiment, the video monitor 110 is locatedbetween the front cover 102 and the back cover 103 towards a top surfaceof the album 101 above the photograph sleeves 120. In a furtherembodiment, the video monitor 110 is located between the front cover 102and the back cover 103 towards a bottom surface of the album 101 belowthe photograph sleeves 120.

For the embodiments in which the monitor housing 105 is between thefront cover 102 and the back cover 103, it is preferred that the monitorhousing is thicker than the total thickness of all of the photographsleeves 120 to allow the front cover to rest on the monitor housing 105when the album 101 is closed. In one embodiment, the album 101 is moldedhaving the monitor housing 105 integrated into either the front cover102 or the back cover 103.

For particular albums, such as wedding albums, it is desirable to havethe covers made of well-appointed materials. Such materials include, butare not limited to leathers, wood grain, fabrics, metals, canvas andacrylics. The cover may further include die-cut photograph inserts.

The video monitor 110 may be any monitor suitable for video playback. Inone embodiment the video monitor is a touch screen monitor. In anotherembodiment, the video monitor is capable of reproducing high definitionvideo. In one embodiment, the video monitor is capable of displayinghigh definition content and may playback a number of file formats suchas, but not limited to MPEG, AVI, MPEG4, MPEG2 and H.264. Playback forthe video monitor 110 may be controlled via touch screen capabilities orby media buttons 130.

The media buttons 130 may allow the user to play, stop, fast forward,rewind, select sections, adjust volume and adjust the monitorproperties. The media buttons 130 may be integrated into a touch screenmonitor, may be tactile buttons, may be touch screen controls distinctfrom the video monitor or any combination thereof. In one embodiment,the album further contains a video output for connection to an externalmonitor.

In one embodiment, the album 101 further contains a media card slot 140.The media card slot may be any suitable media card reader to read solidstate, flash or disc drive based memory. Insertion of a media card intothe media card slot 140 allows for playback of video content loaded onthe media card. In addition to the media card slot 140, a USB port 142allows for additional connections. The USB port 142 further allows foran authorized user to access the CPU 150 to adjust the internal settingsof the album 101. The internal memory 160 stores the control settingsfor the album 101. In one embodiment, the internal memory 160 alsostores the video content. In another embodiment, the video content isstored on a removable media card. In another embodiment, the videocontent is stored via internal memory.

In one embodiment, the album 101 has audio visual ports 143 allowing forexternal connection of the album to audio visual device. For example, toconnect the album to a home theater system or a larger monitor such as atelevision.

While the invention has been described with reference to particularembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted forelements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. Inaddition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situationor material to the teachings of the invention without departing from thescope of the invention.

Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to theparticular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated forcarrying out this invention, but that the invention will include allembodiments falling within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Parts List:

-   100 Video album-   101 Album-   102 Album front cover-   103 Album back cover-   104 Album side-   105 Monitor housing-   106 Album outer edge-   110 Video monitor-   120 Photograph sleeve-   121 Photograph pocket-   130 Media buttons-   140 Media card slot-   141 Power port-   142 USB port-   143 Audio visual ports-   150 CPU-   160 Internal memory-   170 Speaker

1. A video album comprising: a cover; a plurality of photograph sleeves,each photograph sleeve having at least one pocket for housing aphotographic image; and a video monitor housed within the cover.